The invention relates to and locking system including a drive shaft connected with a drive, a drive, a gear assembly, and a rotor which can be turned by means of the drive shaft and the gear assembly between two end positions rotated relative to one another by a predetermined angle and which can be locked in at least one of the end positions.
It is the object of the invention to provide a drive and locking system which locks the rotor in at least one end position without a further drive member (e.g. a motor, magnet or the like) having to become effective to accomplish this once the end position is reached.
This is accomplished by a drive and locking system of the above-mentioned type which, with reference to the drawings, is characterized in that the at least one end position is determined by a rigid stop (1a, 1b); the drive shaft (5) is concentric with the rotor (2); at least one intermediate gear arrangement (7, 8, 9) is disposed between the drive wheel (6) of the drive shaft (5) and the rotor drive face (9) which is concentric therewith so as to establish a driving connection; a member (13) connected with the at least one intermediate gear arrangement (7, 8) is disposed concentric with the rotor (2); said member (13) is connected by means of a lever arrangement (12) with a further member (14) connected with the stator in such a manner and said lever arrangement (12) is arranged and configured in such a manner that, if the end position is reached, the lever connection (12) between both members (13 and 14) is releasable and the driving moment acting on the member (13) and the thus produced rotation of the member (13) is released by way of sloped faces (16) and then the released lever arrangement (12) engages at the rotor (2) in the sense of locking it in the end position; and the lock is secured by turning the member (13) relative to the other member (14).
Further improvements will become apparent from the ensuing detailed description.
The gear assembly may be a toothed wheel assembly in which the shaft of any desired drive drives one or a plurality of intermediate gears by way of a toothed wheel, with the axes of the intermediate gears lying on a circle that is concentric with the axis of the drive. The intermediate gear or gears then engage in the internal teeth of a member connected with the rotor. The intermediate gears or, more precisely, their shafts, are fastened to the above-mentioned member.
However, the gear assembly may also be an assembly known by the name of "harmonic drive" which will be described in greater detail with reference to the drawing figures (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,906,143 and German Auslegeschrift No. 2,315,746).